Transmission drive for motor-vehicle instruments



July,3 1923.

F. G. WHITTINGTON' TRANSMISSION DRIVE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE INSTRUMENTS Filed March '17-. 1922 2 Shet s-S heet 1 i I I July 3, 1923. 1,460,521

' F. G. WHITTINGTON TRANSMISSION DRIVE FOR- MOTOR VEHICLE INSTRUMENTSFiled March 17 f 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W J J J52 7 Z 6 m JJ/ f' g \JZPatented July 3, 1923.

*7 f :E WED S ES FREDERIK G. wnrrirriverou, orEvAusToN,jILLrNoIsnssIGNoR To sT wAimwmr VNER SPEEDOMETER conrormrron,or CHICAGO,,ILLI1\TOIS,- VA oonronarroni or VIRGINIA.

' TRANSMISSION DRI E For MoroR-vEHfctri msmvmsms; j "T21 T0 all whom itmay, concern) Be it known that I, Fnnonnrii TINGTON, a citizen of'theUnited States, having residence in Evanston, in the-county of Cook andState oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTransmission Drives for Motor-Vehicle Instruments, of whichtheffollow'ing is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming apart thereof.

The'purpose of this invention is to pro vide an improved construction oftransmission drive for motor'vehicle instrument; It consists in theelements and'features of construction shown and descr'ibed,-- asindicatedin the'claims.

In the drawings I Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of the chassis of anautomobile which is'equippedwith a construction embodying 'thisinvention for showing the position'of'the same relative to the motorand'transmission. Figure 2 is a vertical section, axialwith respect tothe po'werfshaftshown therein, through the transmission casing ofa'construction equipped with ithis invention. Figure 3 is a section' atthe line, 3 3, on Figure 2; q

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a slightly modifiedconstruction.

Figure 5 is a detail section at the line,- 55, on Figure 4. In theconstruction shown "in the drawings, the transmission case is shown atA, having-the forward end of the propeller shaft B, exposed atitheforward end of the casing, except forthe-supple'mental enclosing housingmembers hereinafter described;

In the form shown in Figure 2, the propeller shaft is provided with astop nut, C, for which the propeller shaft is' slightly reduced andthreaded where it protrudes beyond-its forward bearing in saidcasing.

The bushing sleeve, D, which carries the ball bearing, T, for saidpropeller shaft protrudes from the forward end of the casing,

and is interiorly enlarged and threaded at D to receive the supplementalhousing member, E, which is in the form of a cap exteriorly threaded forscrewing into the ward end of the propeller shaft, which is,

reduced as shown at B for thuseXt-ending G. Vi lain "which it is thusscrewed beiln'ig .Applieation'filed March 17, 1922. swarm. 5 24,6484 Ution,-B and is further reduced and thread. 7

ed at B to theendi-of'said shaft". G isa journale d a driven shaft, H,"the journal hearing at one end being provided in' a bush ing, J ,"whichis screwed intothe'otherwise hollow coupling member in which there is 7open end of thehQusingQG, the aperture into Y I to admit the spiralpinion, also mounted upon the other end of; said driven shaft, H, v

and said other end of saidshaftisreduced large enough and obtains ajournal hearing at inthe end ofthe' housing, G, opposite that which hasthe journalbearing bushing J Extendingoff at'right angles'from said'mainpor tion of the housing, Gr, it has an integral annularflange, G whichconstitutesfa cap or cup member for fitting outside the hub, E oftheflsupplemental housing, 'E,;the'fit being close but not so tight butthat the parts can-be applied by hand 'andvwithout web, G from whichthere is extende d an.

drive. For assembling the pa t th spiral gear head is placed inmesh withthe pinion, K, lodged against the web, G and V the annular flange-or'cap,'Gr is then ad'- vanced onto the hub, E of the supplementalhousing, E, while the spiral gear, F, is advanced onto the reducedportion, B of the shaft, B, where it may 'be-keyed fast and furthersecured by screwing a nut, L,'-onto the reduced threaded'endportion,-'B. of the shaft, B. For permitting the assemblage of thepartsin the fmann er described, there is provided in the transmissioncasing fshe11;

forward of the plane of thesappnmentai. housing, E, an: aperture, a,large"enough to admitthe entire assemblage comprising the r casingr ththe two intermeshed gears.

The closure plate, M is applied over the opening, a, andisecuredbybolts, M said closure plate havin an aperture, m, in which thehousing,makes aslip fit, so, that said closure'plate serves merely to positionand retain the member, G, against otherwise free rotation about the axisof the shaft, 13. The bearingbushing, J ,"for the outer end of thedriven shaft H, is pro-.-

vided with an exteriorlythreaded terminal,

H, issuitably notched as shown at 7t, for

driving connection with the rotary member of the flexible shaft; andsuch shaft shown conventionally at and P, maybe extended in whateverdirection and for whatever distance it may be necessary to reach thespeedometer or other instrument which is driven, mounted on the dashboard 'or elsewhere upon the vehicle,

In the form shown in Figures et and 5, the spiral'gears, F and IQ, arecompletely enclosed in-a fixed or rigid housing, S, with their shafts, fand 7c, protruding at an acute angle from the housing, the supplementalhousing corresponding to the housing, E, of Figure 1, designated E inFigure 4, has a central aperture, 6, and a protruding terminal annularboss, 6 exteriorly threaded; and the casing, S; is terminated around thebearing through which the shaft, 70, emerges, with a swiveled interiorlythreaded coupling cap, 6 adapted to be screwed onto the exteriorlythreaded terminal, c of the housing, E The propeller shaft, B, in thisform is terminated with a'nut, B which constitutes an endwise stop forthe shaft against the ball-bearing casing, T, and this nut has aterminahb, which is reduced in diameter forfree entrance into the hollowhub or boss, 6 of the housing, E, and which is in turn axially bored, asshown at b to receive the reduced end of the shaft, 70, in drivingengagement with said terminal, 6 the said shaft, is, being adapted forenter ing into driving engagement with the terminal, If, as it isadvanced thereinto, screwing on the swivelled coupling cap, 6 Thehand-hole plate, F is applied and secured in the same manner as alreadydescribed in respect to the structure of Figure 1.

I claim 1. In a motor vehicle having a transmission casing at the rearof the motor, and a longitudinal propeller shaftgof which the forwardmember is journaled in the transmission-casing and is exposed at theforward side thereof; a supplemental housing member applied onto theforward side of the transmission casing around the exposed end of saidpropeller shaftmember; a pair of intermeshed driving and driven spiralgears and a casing within which they intermesh, the margin of theopening in the supplemental housing andthe spiral gear casing having theone a male and the other a. female terminal adapted forengagement'tojclose the opening in the supplemental housing, and meansfor engagingthedriving gear of said pair with the propeller shaft whensaid terminals are engaged.

2. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the spiral gearcasing comprising an arm which extends transversely to the axis of thedriving gear of the spiral gear pair, and means adapted to be fixed withrespect to the transmission casing for positioning said arm as to itsdirection radially of the propeller shaft.

' 3. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the spiral gearcasing being constructed to enclose both the spiral gears, the

driving gear of the pair having a shaft which protrudes from saidcasing, the terminal for engagement with the supplemental housingterminal being rotatably connected with the remainder of said spiralgear casing, said engaging terminals of the housing and casing beingthreaded for their engagement by the rotation of the gear casing.terminal.

t. In a'motor vehicle having a transmission casing at the rear of themotor and a longitudinal power transmitting shaft ourf naled in saidcasing and exposed at the forward side thereof; a pair of intermeshinggearswhose axes are in planes transverse to each other, a housing forsaid gears having two transversely positioned members adapted to besecured by one of said members to the transmission casingat the forwardside thereof in the rear of the motorwith the gear in said member indriving engagement with said power transmitting shaft, and means forpositioning the other transverse member of said housing on thetransmission iousing with its end and theend of the shaft member thereinexposed for connection respectively with'the casing and rotary elementof an encased flexible shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois,this 11th day of March, 1922. I

FEEDER-1K o. WHIT INGTON.

spiral

